1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to automobile safety accessories and, more particularly, to devices that produce a signal in response to a vehicular impact.
Unfortunately, vehicles do occasionally collide with each other and sometimes, as a result, inflict property damage as well as personal injury. Sometimes, an accident happens so quickly that a motorist who is traveling behind a vehicle that is involved in a collision is unable to stop in time, and so he also become involved in the accident, colliding into the vehicle in front.
Environmental conditions, such as rain or snow which contribute to both poor visibility and slippery road surfaces or fog can, at times, greatly increase the likelihood as well as exacerbate the magnitude of such occurrences.
These types of collisions are commonly called either "chain" collisions, or "chain reactions". They usually begin when a first forward vehicle is itself involved in an initial collision of some sort. Then another motorist, following behind, fails to stop in time and so his vehicle impacts with the "rear-end" of the first vehicle.
Most typically, this happens on the highway though sometimes it occurs even on rural roads. High driving speeds combined with dense traffic patterns favor the occurrence of such rear-end types of collisions. Poor visibility or slippery road surfaces only compound the problem.
The initial collision may involve the first vehicle impacting with another vehicle or some object. This sets up the initial starting condition of having the first forward vehicle involved in a collision. The first vehicle will most likely immediately come to a stop or it may remain moving but be dramatically slowed in speed as a result of the collision it just experienced.
The problem being addressed by the present disclosure appertains to preventing other vehicles following behind the first vehicle that has already been involved in a collision from also impacting with the first vehicle. Clearly this would be of benefit to all concerned. The first vehicle will then be spared from incurring additional vehicular damage that would otherwise result from being "rear-ended" by the following vehicle. The occupants of the first vehicle would also be spared from the risk of suffering further personal injury as a consequence of a subsequent additional rear-end type of an impact.
Sometimes, chain reaction collisions may involve a great many vehicles, each following behind another vehicle that is itself involved in a collision with a vehicle in front. This type of series of collisions can occur in rapid succession and may even involve hundreds of vehicles at a time along a particular stretch of highway when conditions happen to especially favor such tragic events.
The basic contributory cause behind such types of accidents is human reaction time. It takes time for people to realize that an accident has occurred and to then react by braking. Numerous studies have been undertaken which corroborate this essential aspect of driving. That is why student drivers are taught not to follow too closely behind the vehicle in front so as to allow time to react to such contingencies as when a vehicle in front is suddenly involved in an accident. Even though drivers are, in general, educated in this regard many do not practice what they have learned.
Another impediment to avoiding the occurrence of such types of multiple collisions is that drivers are apt to misinterpret what has happened. A driver following behind another vehicle may hear a sound and not know that it is the sound of the vehicle in front being involved in a collision. Neither may he be able to perceive or correctly interpret the changes in the path followed or the sudden speed reduction exhibited by the vehicle in front after it has been involved in a collision. Therefore the decision to brake may be delayed until it is too late and the following vehicle may also collide with the vehicle in front.
Accordingly there exists today a need for a device which can help to prevent such types of chain reaction collisions from occurring. Clearly, such an apparatus is an especially useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Signaling devices are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,855,956 to Gibbs, Apr. 26, 1932;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,016 to Wilson, Jul. 21, 1953;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,092 to Tucker, May 7, 1974;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,228 to Svensson et al, Jul. 17, 1979;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,829 to Montaron, May 3, 1983;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,990 to Willeford, Apr. 12, 1994;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,214 to Chalmers et al, Apr. 18, 1995; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,567 to Hoo, Mar. 18, 1997.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.